An Unforeseen Foe
by briannaelise07
Summary: Clark closed his eyes, blocking out the rest of the irate man's tirade. Instead, he bowed his head, desperately seeking out the connection that he and Lois have always shared. He smiled slightly as a clear image of Lois flashed to the front of his mind, and he gained strength from the love he saw shining in her hazel eyes. He could do this... he would do this... to save them.
1. Chapter 1

Clark slowly drifted into wakefulness, the scent of sizzling bacon beckoning him with its overwhelming aroma. Blinking black the last vestiges of sleep, Clark smiled. His wife, Lois Lane, after years of instruction, had finally mastered an art that had always eluded her – cooking. His stomach roiled suddenly – a feeling he had only experienced while exposed to kryptonite. Well, he admitted wryly to himself, nausea plagued me during Lois' first few practice attempts at cooking. In fact, he had made a trip or two to the porcelain bowl due to the "meals" she had prepared. Maybe my stomach is just recalling those horrible moments and still isn't accustomed to the new Chef Lois.

He rose carefully into a sitting position, feeling slightly dizzy. He shook his head, trying to dispel the unfamiliar sensation, but the action only seemed to intensify the vertigo and increase the nausea. He slid awkwardly from the bed, alarmed at the bile he felt rising in his throat. He supersped to the bathroom, dropping to his knees in front of the toilet as exhaustion settled over him. Sweat trickled down both sides of his temple as he heaved fruitlessly, bringing up nothing. His hands trembled and he closed his eyes for a few minutes, sighing in relief when the nausea finally began to abate.

He stood slowly, gripping the sink tightly for support. He swayed alarmingly on his feet as he tried to find his equilibrium. Once he felt steady enough, he lightly padded toward the kitchen. However, as he tried to float a few inches above the ground at the stairs' threshold so his descent wouldn't disturb Lois, he found he couldn't. Concerned, he tried again and again, but his efforts only seemed to further exhaust him. He walked slowly down the steps, wondering why he felt so drained.

He stopped at the doorway leading to the kitchen, leaned wearily against it for support, and watched as his beautiful companion's hips swayed to a sultry rhythm only she could hear – probably some Whitesnake ballad, he thought, wryly. He smiled, his eyes shining with love despite his exhaustion. Suddenly, she conjured a spatula seemingly out of nowhere, transferred the bacon to a plate, and turned off the oven. All the while, she remained unaware of the cerulean eyes following her graceful steps – or so he thought.

"Smallville, I know you're there, so come over here and kiss me already," she demanded, smirking as she turned around and made her way toward him. He smirked back, not wanting to give away how lousy he felt.

"Yes ma'am," Clark deadpanned, meeting her halfway and planting a slow, sensual kiss on her lips.

"Show off," Lois joked, swatting him playfully, her flushed cheeks and breathlessness giving away his effect on her.

He opened his mouth to retort, but another wave of nausea cut off the flow of words, causing him to grunt in surprise.

Lois leant back in his embrace to face him, her brow furrowed in worry. "Smallville?"

His features visibly tensed as he closed his eyes, waiting for the uncomfortable sensation to pass. However, the queasiness continued to hold his stomach in an unrelenting grip. With incredible foresight, Lois ducked out of his arms, snagged a bowl from the drainer and held it underneath his head, just as he bent over and retched. Soon, the spasms ceased, but he continued to dry heave miserably.


	2. Chapter 2

The nausea finally subsided altogether and Clark sighed in relief, his body trembling from exertion. He met Lois' questioning gaze and smiled shakily in response.

"I'm okay now," he assured her. "Don't worry; it's probably just a combination of over-work and not enough sleep. There's something else, though."

He averted his gaze guiltily before continuing in a rush. "My powers have kind of shorted out as well, but I'm sure I've just overdone things. I mean, I haven't been spending hardly any time resting in between rescues, just working non-stop. I um… you know I can't always sleep when I do finally get home. So, I need to learn to balance my jobs better, that's all."

Lois didn't respond; instead, she studied him intently, her gaze both analytical and sympathetic. "I've never seen you actually vomit so violently before; I mean, you have gotten sick on occasion when kryptonite was involved," Clark raised his eyebrows and she finished reluctantly. "Okay, fine, or my cooking. . . but this just came out of nowhere."

Clark sighed, realizing she had a point. "I know; it is weird, but, like I said, I have been pushing myself extra hard as Superman – a hefty dose of sunlight is all I need. Trust me," he pleaded, quirking his lips up into a gentle smile.

"Fine," Lois huffed. She laid a cool hand against his clammy forehead. "But you need to take it easy for a while; you're sweaty, Clark. And we both know only two things cause that – one of which involves yours truly." She smiled mischievously when he blushed, the pink shade returning a semi-healthy glow to his pale features. "Seriously though, if it happens again, we're going to the ice castle to see your Bi-Polar Father; on second thought, Dr. Emil might be a better choice."

"Hey, he's not as bad as he used to be; there was a glitch causing his AI to malfunction – some sort of virus, remember? So, after a reboot, he mellowed out a bit."

She narrowed her eyes at his rebuttal. "Well, I still don't trust him after all the stunts he pulled; he basically abused you for years, Clark! I think that if we decide to take a trip to see Jor-El, it should only be as a last resort."

"Lois, I just need to rest, so a trip up there will not be necessary. Okay?"

"Okay, okay," she relented. "I'll let this go for now, because I can tell you feel like crap. Are you feeling up to going to work today?"

"Yes, Lois," Clark promised, rolling his eyes playfully at her. "Now, if _you_ don't hurry and get ready, we'll be late because my 'super' shuttle service is currently unavailable." He winked at her, his eyes sparkling with humor. She smiled softly, feeling a bit calmer and somewhat reassured.


	3. Chapter 3

As the weeks progressed, Clark's powers gradually returned, along with an extra surge of energy. He hadn't felt this good in a long time; therefore, the worries regarding his health disappeared, departing from his frontal lobe and lingering somewhere in the back of his mind. His high spirits also convinced Lois that the incident was nothing more than a result of exhaustion, so by the end of the week, she stopped pestering him and accepted his repeated assurances that he felt better than ever.

Clark's newfound vigor also made transitioning back and forth between his two jobs easier. He rescued more people and finished his assignments quicker than before, earning him a spot in his editor-in-chief's good graces. Due to his top-notch writing and rescuing, the world beyond Metropolis began to trust Clark Kent, the reporter as well as Superman, the hero.

Therefore, he didn't hesitate to answer a routine call for help about a month after his recovery. Lois watched as he cocked his head and stood up from his desk. As he walked swiftly toward the staircase, Lois whispered, "Be safe, my love." A smile spread unconsciously across his face and he turned back in acknowledgement, mouthing "Always," before speeding through the door and up the steps.

Superman landed quietly at the scene of an obvious hostage situation, his glittering blue eyes emanating gentle yet fierce authority. His composure fell almost immediately as a familiar ache settled into his muscles and bones, increasing in intensity until every nerve ending burned unceasingly. However, nothing compared to the amount of agony and nausea that exploded within his stomach.

He collapsed into a writhing heap, drawing the attention of the man and woman. The man glanced at him for a second and then faced the lady again, all the while blocking her from view. Clark had never felt such pain during his previous exposures, and the edges of his vision darkened as he fought to remain conscious. He blindly crawled toward the victim, desperate to shield her and the innocent life residing safely inside her womb.

The woman cradled her stomach protectively, shielding her unborn child from the gun pointed at them. Her voice shook as she desperately fought to maintain her composure in order to escape from the obvious threat.

"Please, don't hurt the baby. I'll tear up the divorce papers. I'll come back with you… just please don't hurt our son," she pleaded.

"You will regret screaming for Superman, even he can't help you now. I made sure of it," he sneered, turning to face the hero and pulling back his trench coat to reveal the glowing green stone.


	4. Chapter 4

The enraged husband retrieved the poisonous rock from the confines of his pocket as he approached the fallen hero.

"Not so tough now are ya, Superman? How does it feel to be brought down to our level? To feel pain? Fear? My wife betrayed me!" he snarled, tossing the rock near Clark's head. Whipping around to face the mother of his child, he pointed a finger at the retreating woman accusingly. "You promised to love me for better or worse, but when things got bad you just left! I was going to therapy but you didn't give me a chance to change…"

Clark closed his eyes, blocking out the rest of the irate man's tirade. Instead, he bowed his head, desperately seeking out the connection that he and Lois have always shared. He smiled slightly as a clear image of Lois flashed to the front of his mind, and he gained strength from the love he saw shining in her hazel eyes.

He could do this… he would do this... to save them. Taking a deep breath, he focused on extending his force field far enough to surround the pregnant woman in a protective cocoon.

He teetered on the edge of consciousness, but he focused on Lois's face to keep him grounded. As the sound of a gunshot rang out, he doubled his efforts. He sighed in relief as he heard the man's shocked gasp and confused utterances accompanied by his running feet. He looked up and saw the woman approaching him on unsteady feet. She picked up the glowing green meteor and whirled around angrily before flinging it as far away as she could. She caught his eye as she sat heavily across from him. He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed a trembling finger to his lips to silence him.

"Don't try to speak; save your strength. I don't know how you did it, but thank you for saving us," she said, her voice soft from shock and exhaustion. "Do I need to move the rock farther away?" She made to get up, but his hoarse "no" stopped her. She absently rubbed her round belly as she studied his pale face worriedly. "Well, obviously you still feel its effects. Do you need me to call an ambulance?" He shook his head vigorously in response. At that moment, sirens broke through their conversation.

"Someone must have reported the gunshot. You should at least let someone look you over," she admonished.

"I told you, Lois, I don't need a doctor," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut against the overwhelming dizziness.

"Lois? You mean the reporter Lois Lane? Superman, don't pass out, come on," she pleaded. He blearily opened his eyes at the desperation in her voice.

"Lois, don't be upset. I just need...some sun," he slurred. "I'm so cold; warm me up, honey."

"Okay, so I guess there's a bit of truth in all those tabloid rumors. Maybe she'll know what to do," she whispered. As the squad car pulled up next to her, she retrieved her cell phone from her jacket, immediately dialing directory assistance.

"Metropolis, New Jersey; Daily Planet," she smiled at the officer as he approached her and mouthed, "One second." He held out a hand and helped her clamber to her feet, glancing worriedly at the wounded hero lying a few feet away. He knew he was alive by the way his chest rose and fell rapidly, but he didn't appear to be conscious.

Ignoring the officer's questioning glance, the lady spoke urgently into the phone. "Yes, I need to speak to Lois Lane; it's an emergency. Thanks." She paused, tapping her foot impatiently. "Hello, Miss Lane? Well… how did you know? Yes, he's hurt. It's a long story involving that damn rock." She glanced at the officer and turned away, whispering, "Lois, he doesn't look good. Hurry, please. "


	5. Chapter 5

The garbled sound of voices pierced through the dark void where Clark's consciousness had found silent refuge, jolting him abruptly into awareness. He immediately recognized the sharp tone of his wife.

"Lois?" he rasped quietly, "What happened?" He opened his eyes, attempting to blink away the blurriness that obscured his vision.

"Oh, Clark! Thank God!" Lois breathed. He hissed as she pulled him into a desperate hug. "Sorry, baby. I just… I thought I'd lost you," she murmured, hastily wiping the tears spilling from her eyes as rose up to face him. "You've been so sick," she continued, caressing his cheek. He gently laid his hand upon hers, tracing her shaky fingers with his thumb.

"It's okay. I feel better. I'm..." At her stricken expression he trailed off uncertainly. "What is it?" His vision began to clear, and he finally recognized his surroundings. _Watchtower…_ His breath hitched as a stabbing pain radiated from his diaphragm to his stomach.

"Emil gave you a brief physical evaluation," she began hesitantly, "and he's currently running a few blood tests to..." Lois' voice broke on a sob. She brought his hand to her lips and tenderly kissed his palm.

Clark stared at her crestfallen expression and filled in the necessary blanks. "He already has an idea of what's wrong with me, and the tests are to confirm his suspicions." She nodded.

"Clark, during the examination, he discovered a mass in your abdomen. He suspects there may be more."

Clark swallowed, unable to fully grasp the implications of the statement. "You mean, I have cancer? How?"

"He's not sure; he suspects that your healing ability has gone rampant, causing the cells to over-multiply. Of course, kryptonite is probably the initial cause. But it could be nothing… I mean, maybe it's just some weird Kryptonian development… maybe your pregnant," she joked, laughing Lois continued to ramble, but Clark only understood a couple of words. The pain had dulled, along with his sense of hearing. He suddenly felt disconnected and nauseated. The sickening sensation burrowed into the pit of his stomach, and he swallowed reflexively.

He heard a male voice shouting his name, but it sounded distant and muffled. Finally, he made out a few desperate words.

"Clark, come on! Wake up. What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Emil demanded sharply. Concern colored each question, despite his attempt to remain professional.

Just… gonna… be… sick," he gritted out. He felt strong hands turn him on his side as his stomach spasmed and he coughed desperately, expelling the bitter-tasting bile. He sighed in relief when he finished and settled back against the pillow, finding comfort in the feather light caresses of his wife's fingers through his hair. He opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. He studied Emil's grave expression and immediately knew that it was true.

 _He had cancer._


End file.
